|
Consumers - Fight Back With FTC's Do Not Call Registry
|
By James H. Dimmitt
[Hits: 9879]
|
|
The Federal Trade Commission has rolled out it¡¯s National Do NotCall Registry and the registration site already has over 700,000registrants. This is great news for consumers who have growntired of annoying sales calls by pesky telemarketers.
Consumers can register online at www.donotcall.gov. You canregister up to three personal phone numbers at one time. This isa free service established by the FTC and your ¡°do not call¡±registration is good for a 5-year period.
Additionally, a toll-free number is also available for those whowant to register by phone. The toll-free number is1-888-382-1222. You must call from the phone number you want toregister when using the toll free registration service.
The toll free number is only accessible to those states west ofthe Mississippi River in the initial week of registration. Theprogram will spread nationwide the following week.
Telemarketers will be required to ¡°clean¡± their call lists bymatching their list against the national ¡°do not call¡± listevery 90 days starting in September 2003.
Companies who call listed people will be subject to fines of upto $11,000 per violation. Enforcement will begin in October2003. You will be able to file a ¡°do not call violation¡±complaint online or by phone.
Over two dozen states already have their own ¡°do-not-call¡± listsand most of these states plan to incorporate their lists intothe national registry. If your state is one of them, you do notneed to re-register for the national registry.
CAUTION: There have been reports of scam artists and identitythieves calling people to request or confirm personalinformation for this new registry. The FTC has posted thiswarning to consumers on their web page:
¡°The FTC will not allow private companies or other such thirdparties to "pre-register" consumers for the national Do Not Callregistry. Web sites or phone solicitations that claim they canor will register a consumer's name or phone number on a nationallist ¨C especially those that charge a fee ¨C are a scam.Consumers will be able to register directly with the FTC, orthrough some state governments, but never private companies.¡±
Consumers should also be aware that some types of telephonesolicitation are exempt from the do-not-call protection.Companies from which you have purchased, leased or rented fromin the previous 18 months are exempt. Also charities, surveys,and calls on behalf of politicians will be exempt from thisservice.
The National Do Not Call Registry does not cover business tobusiness calls.
|
|
|
|
|
|
